How the Other Half (of the Paired Townhouse) Lives

By dornob

What happens to houses joined at the hip(ped roof) when one half is abandoned by its occupants and left to the elements? A photo essay by Camilo Jose Vergaga in Camden, New Jersey, explores the stark juxtaposition of living architecture and deserted buildings – paired homes where one remains in use and the other has fallen deeply in disrepair.

According to Vergaga, the remaining occupants encounter various problems when their former neighbors exit the picture. Burst pipes, potential fires, decaying materials and unwanted squatters are just the start. Sometimes the remaining resident simply turns their adjacency into a storage site or trash receptical for their unwanted old goods.

Vergaga points out that in poor neighborhoods, as opposed to middle-class ones, when someone is taken to the hospital or otherwise leaves their home the neighbors and police tend not to watch out for the place in order to prevent problems. As the population of Camden continues to decrease these mismatched pairs only grow in number.

Camilo Jos Vergara a Chilean writer and photographer now living in New York who is well known for his urban decay photography. In many cases, he makes return trips ot the same destinations to document changes over time. He has also won a number of awards for his photography and has been exhibited in museums around the world. In one of his most compelling but controversial stunts, he proposed turning a huge portion of downtown Detroit into an intentional spectacle of preserved urban ruins.